I really don't have an excuse this time except that I went out of town for a while, but that's it. I'm really sorry for this delay in updating…

This story is finally drawing to a close! I feel like I've drug it out for so long, but the ending is coming up soon, I promise! As always, please Read&Review! Since it's so close to the end, I really want to know what you guys think. Thank you to those that always do review, you keep me writing :)

The next installment shall now begin in an old cab…

Final Start

Haley James Scott leaned over the seat so she could whisper right in the cabby's ear, "Take me to Tree Hill High please."

The cabby started a little, but was able to keep control of the car. "No ma'am. I may not be very bright, but I ain't dumb. The cops got me to take you to the airport, I'm not gonna just take you somewhere else."

Haley reached into her purse and pulled out the wad of twenties she had placed in there for when she was on a plane. She liked to have an emergency supply of cash when travelling, and she figured this was a fine use for it.

"I never said you were dumb, actually I think you're pretty smart. Smart enough to take the money in exchange for dropping me off at the high school."

The cabby stared at the wad of money out of the corner of his eye. He really was running short on money, but he couldn't risk the cops coming after him if he disobeyed them.

Haley pulled a small notebook out her purse next. On it, she wrote:

I, Haley James Scott, asked the cab driver to disobey orders and take me to Tree Hill High School willingly. I also gave him a large tip for doing so. He should not be held responsible, only I should be.

Haley handed the note to the cab driver who read it at the next red light. He sighed, took the money and made a quick left turn to take them away from the airport and to the school.

Haley leaned back in her seat and mentally apologized to everyone back at the hotel. She felt bad for making them all think she was leaving for good, but otherwise, how would they have let her go? Even Lucas, who was so furious that she was leaving would not have allowed her to go find Nathan with Dan on the loose.

She also felt bad for tricking the police officers. They were only trying to keep them all safe and she was going behind their backs and jeopardizing all they had done.

Despite how guilty she felt, Haley hadn't felt so peaceful in a long time. Finally, she knew she was doing the right thing in going after Nathan.

Nathan Scott had had a sleepless night, but finally he knew what he was going to say to Haley. There wouldn't be any pleading or begging, he would calmly explain how much he not only needed, but wanted her. He would explain what happened with that stupid freshman, he would explain Haley was what gave him the strength to fight Dan the night before.

Haley was his reason to live, to enjoy life, and there was no way he was going to let her slip through his fingers yet again, if she would just give him another chance to prove it.

Haley took a deep breath. This was it; she was finally going to decide what to do about Nathan. There was no more running from her feelings, she finally could see them clearly and consider all her options, using a combination of her heart and brain. However, she had no idea what she was going to say to Nathan. For once, the girl who always had a plan, always had a goal, had no clue what she was going to do to convince Nathan that she was tired of being without him.

After one more second, Haley opened the school's door and walked into the familiar hallways of Tree Hill High.

Confidently, Haley walked to her safe haven, the place that was hers in this school, the place where Nathan was waiting for her, the place that held so many memories for the both of them, the tutor center.

However, Haley's stroll was interrupted by a piercing scream.

Nathan was sitting on a table in the empty tutor center, his back facing the door, which had a mysterious "Closed for the day" sign hanging off of it when the scream hit his ears.

Then, there was a popping sound and he heard glass shatter.

Nathan jumped off of the desk he was sitting on and ran to the side of the tutor center, away from the door.

He wasn't stupid, if there was a gunman in the school, he wouldn't stand a chance. His best bet was to hide in the dark corner of the tutor center. He hated it, but knew it was the way to survive.

Nathan hoped his earlier prayers went ignored and that Haley was safely on a plane way away from whatever was happening at Tree Hill High.

Haley dove onto the floor as more screaming broke out. She didn't know where the commotion had started, but she suddenly decided the floor wasn't the safest option as everyone began to frantically run out of the school, almost trampling her.

She somehow managed to get back to her feet, but instead of rushing with the other students, she hurried further into the danger, to Nathan. She knew he hadn't run out yet and she wasn't going to just leave him in the school by himself.

Haley didn't know if there was any way at all for her to protect Nathan, if anything he would protect her, but there was one thing she knew: If she did not go find him and something happened, there would never be anything she would regret more.

Nathan crouched low to the ground behind a bookshelf. He knew if anyone to walk in, they would not see him, however he would be able to see them after they took a few steps because of the angle he was at.

A few minutes had passed since the screaming began and no one had thought to go in the closed tutor center. Just as he was considering making a break for it, the door quickly opened and shut quietly, as if someone knew just how to open and close the door without it creaking, like they had spent a lot of time in there.

The person took a few silent steps and finally, they were in Nathan's line of sight.

In the tutor center, her face white and terrified, but beautiful all the same, was Haley.

Haley fiddled with her hands for a moment and then she felt a tear run down her cheek. She had been sure he was here. She had just known it, she had figured it was one of those weird connections people get when they're really in love, where they're so in touch with someone they just know things. But she had been wrong, Nathan wasn't in here. He had of course run away at the first sign of danger and not waited around for the person who treated him like dirt. She was too late, there was no way to un-do everything. Haley wouldn't get another chance with Nathan.

Haley felt a few more tears slide down her cheeks and she put her face in her hands, letting the sadness and fear of the situation take hold of her.

Nathan watched Haley break down in front of him. He hated to see her cry and he felt as if he had seen it happen too much recently.

Quietly, he maneuvered himself out of his hiding spot and walked up behind Haley. He wrapped his strong arms around her from the back and just held her for a moment.

Haley froze as the warm arms encircled her. The tears stopped coming as she reveled in the familiar hold.

She waited a moment to make sure it was real, that she wasn't just dreaming this up.

"Nathan," she whispered uncertainly.

"Hales," was the reply.

In a split second Haley turned herself around and pressed her face into Nathan's warm neck. She pressed herself up against him nice and tight.

He held her to him nice and tight as well.

A second later and at the same time they both said, "I'm sorry."

Nathan managed a small smile. "Haley, you know nothing happened with that Rachel girl right? I haven't kissed anyone besides you in years, let alone anything else. And Haley, I'm sorry for not being the man you deserve. I shouldn't have given you such a hard time when you came back…We all have dreams that we have to follow. I have basketball and you, you have music. I shouldn't have tried to make you sacrifice your dream for mine, it was incredibly selfish and cruel."

Haley kept her face pressed into Nathan's neck as he spoke, feeling his words rise up.

Finally she laid her head on his shoulder so she could speak. "Nathan, I'm not sorry for going on the rock tour. I feel like if I hadn't, we would've destroyed each other with bitterness, but I am sorry for not giving you the option to come too, for not calling you every five seconds, every single day. I'm sorry for not being the wife I promised to be….I'm sorry for putting you through everything that I have while I was gone and since I've been back. I've finally decided what to do about us."

Nathan remained silent as Haley spoke, but now he braced himself for her next words. He held onto her tighter than ever, hoping she would never leave his arms again.

"I'm not going back on tour."

Nathan was shocked. She was giving up her dreams for him, was she crazy? He didn't deserve her, she deserved so much better. Nathan was surprised by his own reaction, but he knew it was the right one. Finally, he was putting someone else first. "Haley, we can make it work. You need to go on tour, show the world just how amazing you are. I can't keep that all for myself."

"Nathan…I know we could make it work, but I don't want to go back to that life. I don't like to talk about it, but those nights on tour were some of the loneliest ones of my life. I would wake up and not have anyone beside me, I wouldn't have anyone to call to comfort me because everyone back here hated me. I betrayed everyone I cared about and I knew it. I don't like the person I was when I was on tour….I don't like the things I did to the people I cared about, the people I loved…the people I still love, even if they don't love me," Haley finished as everyone's faces flashed through her mind: Lucas, Brooke, Karen, Keith, Mouth, Red, Dan, the reporter, the people on the bleachers the night she returned, and finally on Nathan's angry face.

Nathan pulled back slightly and leaned his head down to press his lips against Haley's. The kiss was soft and tender, loving.

"I'll never stop loving you Haley James Scott. Always,"

"And forever," Haley finished as their lips rejoined.

Nathan looked over to Haley after giving up on trying to make sense of his latest homework. "I need my tutor back. I need my best friend back… I need my wife back. You're everything I have and I risked it with Danté and I'm sorry."

Nathan reached out and held his wife's still hand.

"Please, give me the chance to show you how sorry I am and how much I love you."

He rubbed his thumb over her smooth hand, still hoping for some sign of life. "It's been so long Hales," he said quietly.

Nathan wanted to hold her, to give her whatever comfort he could in her comatose state.

Carefully, the large figure of Nathan maneuvered himself on his side onto Haley's hospital bed without disturbing any of the hospital tubes.

Nathan wrapped his arms around his too still wife and just held her, hoping he was somehow comforting her as much as she was bringing peace to him.

Haley felt very warm all of a sudden, as if there were two Nathan's surrounding her. It was one of the greatest feelings in the world, and she wanted more.

"So are we in agreement then?" Haley asked Nathan after a few silent moments of hugging.

Nathan gave her a skeptical expression, hoping she would spell out exactly what she wanted.

"That we're officially back together. Married, living together, going to college together…one day having kids."

Nathan gave her his famous smirk, "Kids?"

"Well, that's what most married people do, isn't it? They have kids."

"Yeah, I guess they do," Nathan said with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You want to practice?"

"Here?" Haley laughed. "In the Tutor Center?"

"Why not? This plays holds so many memories for us, why not add another good one? And, it will be more fun doing it during in school."

Haley smiled as she grabbed Nathan's hands and led him to a table where she sat down on its surface. Nathan moved in close to her and kissed her lightly on her lips.

Quickly, the kiss was deepened and Haley wrapped her legs tightly around him.

Nathan moved his lips from hers and down to Haley's neck. She moved her head to the side to give him better access and began to run her fingers through his hair.

"I want a boy," she said quietly. "A boy just like you, with your eyes, your athletic skill…But I wouldn't mind him being a little bit of a better student and less of a party boy."

Nathan nipped her a little hard at that, but quickly smoothed it over with a few extra kisses causing Haley to laugh a little, but get hotter all the same.

"I want a girl," Nathan said into Haley's neck. "Except I want her to be exactly like you, nothing different."

"So you want a kid who can't shoot free throws?"

Nathan moved his head from Haley's neck to look her right in the eyes. "You're perfect Haley, and I think another perfect little girl would only make the world a better place."

Haley felt a blush creeping up as she gave him a small smile. She leaned her head forward and he leaned his in at the same time, they captured each other's lips in a magnificent kiss.

When Haley broke away for a moment to remove Nathan's shirt, he said quietly, "so we've come to an agreement right?"

Now it was Haley's turn to give him a skeptical expression in reply.

"We're just going to have to have twins."

Haley laughed while he went to work on removing her shirt and they rejoined in a kiss, their hands at work on each other's bodies.

A few moments later when they were ready for the next step, Nathan suddenly pulled away a little.

"Hey Hales," Nathan said quietly, the dangerous glint in his eye from earlier now gone.

Haley cocked her head to the side, one eyebrow raised.

"Are you sure about this? I don't want to pressure you into anything. I miss you, but we can wait if you us to."

Haley stared into his eyes for a second. "Nathan, don't you think it's time for you to finally come home? I'm ready, it's been too long."

Nathan grinned at her, "you got that right Hales," and he started to kiss her neck again, getting lower and lower with each kiss.

"Well, well, isn't that sweet, my little son getting ready to finally make up with his wife," a menacing voice said from the doorway of the tutor center.